SAN FRANCISCO -- Bruce Bochy remembered stressing out while watching Tim Lincecum labour through the final innings of his 148-pi

SAN FRANCISCO -- Bruce Bochy remembered stressing out while watching Tim Lincecum labour through the final innings of his 148-pitch no-hitter at San Diego last July. Willson Contreras Cubs Jersey . The Giants manager said there was "no chance" of stretching out his starter again Wednesday, even after Lincecum logged five hitless innings. Not with a blister forming on the tip of Lincecums middle finger. Not with the Giants owning baseballs best record. And certainly, not with more than half of the season to play. Instead, Lincecum and five relievers combined on a weird two-hitter to lead the San Francisco Giants to a 5-0 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday. "He worked so hard out there. It was time," Bochy said. The unconventional performance included 10 baserunners -- five walks, two hits, two errors and a hit batter -- before an announced sellout crowd of 41,186 at AT&T Park that wanted to cheer history. Lincecum struck out five, walked four and hit a batter in another wild but effective start. George Kontos (1-0) retired four straight before John Baker singled through the right side of the infield with one out in the seventh against lefty Jeremy Affeldt for Chicagos first hit. The Cubs hold the longest streak in the majors without being no-hit. The last time it happened to them was 1965, when Sandy Koufax pitched a perfect game for the Dodgers. "Whats the cliche? Its a game of inches," Baker said. "I think the Chicago Cubs are proving beyond a shadow of a doubt that baseballs a game of inches." Hector Sanchez hit a two-run double, and three others drove in a run to help the Giants (34-19) extend the best record in the majors. San Francisco has won six of seven after holding the Cubs scoreless in consecutive games. Edwin Jackson (3-5) gave up two runs on four hits in 5 1-3 innings for the Cubs, who have not won a road series since last September. He struck out nine and walked two. But for most of a sunny afternoon along the bay, the focus remained on whether San Franciscos staff would complete an improbable no-hitter. Lincecum had a 32-pitch first inning that ended on Nate Schierholtzs sharp lineout to first baseman Buster Posey with runners on second and third. He tossed another 20 in the second and pitched a perfect third. The two-time NL Cy Young Award winner hit Schierholtz and overcame an error by shortstop Brandon Crawford on a grounder in the fourth. And after walking Emilio Bonifacio in the fifth, Lincecum got Junior Lake to ground into a double play. It was the second straight erratic outing for Lincecum. He walked six in six innings in San Franciscos 6-2 win over Minnesota last Friday. Lincecum said a tiny blister began forming on the tip of his middle finger in the third. He said its not serious, but he didnt want to risker further injury. And with a no-hitter on his resume already, he felt no need to lobby Bochy for another inning. "I think its just because I know what our bullpen is capable of," Lincecum said. "I just wanted to get the win today and put up some good numbers today, so it was good." Jean Machi got two outs on three pitches, Juan Gutierrez allowed a single to Anthony Rizzo in 1 1-3 scoreless innings and Javier Lopez recorded the final two outs in the ninth. San Francisco supplied support for the pitchers in the late innings. Pablo Sandoval and Tyler Colvin drove in a run in the sixth, and Sanchez hit a two-run double to highlight a three-run seventh that gave the Giants a 5-0 lead. Bochy said Sanchez will continue to catch Lincecum most of the season. He said the move is made, in part, to save Posey from the bumps and bruises that often come with catching Lincecum. "We have a good relationship," Sanchez said, "and we work well together." NOTES: Giants RHP Matt Cain, who missed his last start with a strained right hamstring, threw a bullpen session and is on schedule to make his next start Saturday at St. Louis. ... The Cubs have Thursday off before beginning a three-game series at Milwaukee on Friday. ...RHP Ryan Vogelsong (3-2, 3.20 ERA) starts for the Giants in the opener of a four-game series at St. Louis on Thursday. Kendall Graveman Jersey . Green-Ellis was Cincinnatis leading rusher each of the last two seasons. His role was reduced last year when Giovani Bernard was added to the backfield. Green-Ellis ran for 756 yards and a career-low 3. Carlos Zambrano Jersey . The 25-year-old native of Milford, Conn., has 18 points in 41 games this season. The five-foot-eight 166-pound centre also has 28 points (10-18) in 15 games with AHL Oklahoma City. http://www.thecubsteamshop.com/Cubs-Kerry-Wood-Kids-Jersey/ . The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when - after nearly two years - federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges.PITTSBURGH -- Alfredo Simon became the NLs first 10-game winner and Billy Hamilton had three hits and three RBIs in the Cincinnati Reds 11-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night. Simon (10-3) allowed three runs on five hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings to break a tie with the Dodgers Zack Greinke and Cardinals Adam Wainwright for the NL lead in victories. Simon went to spring training as a relief pitcher and moved into the starting rotation when Mat Latos was recovering from elbow and knee surgeries. Brandon Phillips, Skip Schumaker and Zack Cozart each had two of the Reds 14 hits in the game, which was delayed 1 hour, 15 minutes by rain in the bottom of the seventh inning. Schumaker also had three RBIs in helping Cincinnati win for the sixth time in seven games. Pittsburghs Gregory Polanco went 2 for 4 and became the second player in Pirates history -- joining Spencer Adams (1923) -- to have a hit in each of his first eight major league games. Edinson Volquez (4-6) was tagged for eight runs in 2 2-3 innings after going 3-1 with a 2.48 ERA in his previous five starts. Pirates reserve outfielder Travis Snider pitched the ninth inning in his first major league appearance on the mound. He allowed two runs on a double by Hamilton and a groundout by Todd Frazier, but struck out 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto on a 2-2 changeup to end the inning. Andrew McCutchen had his 12-game hitting streak end as he went 0 for 3 before being pulled after six innings with Pittsburgh trailing 9-1. Starling Marte had two hits and two RBIs while running his hitting streak to nine games. The Redds broke open the game in the third inning, sending 12 men to the plate. Willson Contreras Jersey. Phillips doubled in the first run and another scored on a wild pitch by Volquez before Schumaker and Cozart hit consecutive RBI singles to make it 5-0. The Reds next run came on a disputed call and resulted in the ejection of Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle. Simon hit a nubber to the left of the mound with the bases loaded that right-hander Stolmy Pimentel, who had just relieved Volquez, made a diving play on then flipped the ball to catcher Russell Martin at home plate for an apparent force out on Devin Mesoraco. Mesoraco, however, was ruled safe following a 3-minute, 33-second video review in which it was determined that Martin had illegally blocked home plate. Hamilton followed with a two-run single that capped the inning and increased Cincinnatis lead to 8-0. In the fourth, Mesoraco doubled and scored on a single by Schumaker. The Pirates scored in the fifth when Polanco knocked in Pedro Alvarez, who hit a leadoff double. Marte drove in a run in the sixth inning with a fielders choice and Jose Tabata hit a sacrifice fly as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and added an RBI single in the ninth. NOTES: Pirates RHP Gerrit Cole threw a 60-pitch simulated game Wednesday the first time he faced batters since going on the 15-day disabled list June 4 with right shoulder fatigue. . Cincinnati RF Ryan Ludwick was rested despite going 7 for 12 in the previous three games. He was replaced by Schumaker. . Reds RHP Homer Bailey (7-3, 4.68) faces LHP Jeff Locke (0-1, 3.96) in the finale of the three-gamer series on Thursday. ' ' '